Together we stand
by TheRegularWriter
Summary: When she sees the gauntlet forming on Tony's hand, Nebula knows what's about to happen. Peter may have not seen Bruce get hold on the Infinity stones earlier, but he accompanies the blue cyborg when she dashes to Tony's direction. They make sure they're beside him when he falls. Set in the MCU, during the final battle in Avengers: Endgame. WARNINGS - blood and injury, near death.


**A/N: Heyaa, I'm back with another MCU story! It was based on a drawing on Tumblr by cottoncandyofterror (for some reason I can't link it here :'v but you should check out this person's art because it's amazing!)**

**This was going to be about Tony and Peter only... when I remembered the beginning of Endgame, Tony and Nebula spending time together. I happen to really like the idea of their friendship and I was sad that they didn't have more scenes throughout the film. So yeah, I made sure to include the blue meanie we all love.**

**I apologize for writing mistakes and any OOCness, especially as it's my first time writing Nebula. And I hope the pacing is okay, too, writing shorter stories like this is still a new thing to me.**

**Regardless, enjoy!**

* * *

The first thing Nebula sees when she finishes off another enemy, is Thanos and Tony fighting to get the gauntlet. The latter resists until the former throws him away with his brute force. Without thinking twice, she makes her way to the Mad Titan whom she would never call her father again. In the way, though, she hears a protest and glances beside her, acknowledging the arachnid boy running beside her.

"I am inevitable," Thanos says, drawing her attention back to him, and proceeds to snap his fingers.

However, it only lets out a regular sound of metal. His gauntlet has no Infinity stones. Both Nebula and the teenager stop in the way, confused for a moment before they realize that, instead… they are placed in a gauntlet that Tony's armor creates.

He doesn't yell out in pain. He doesn't break down the same way Bruce did. No, it's like he's used to the amount of destruction the stones cause to an organic. Like he's handled so much that it's not having that much of an effect on him. The scientist could barely make it out alive earlier, weren't it for his altered body.

And that's when Nebula realizes what's about to happen.

They've only been together once; since getting back to Earth, Nebula hasn't quite been with the man other times (the two being on their own, that is). Besides, she doesn't get attached too easily. Doesn't allow herself to.

But to say she hasn't created something with Tony back in space would be a lie; and she can't bear to let anything happen to him, after witnessing him starving, _accepting _death, while she was unable to help him back then.

Now… she **has to**.

She runs. Sprints out to his direction. Although she doesn't take her eyes off Tony and Thanos, part of her realizes that the teenage boy is following her lead, perhaps catching on what she fears.

They're only a few meters away when Tony raises his arm to his face level, looks at the villain with an unfazed expression as the dirt and blood crumble up in his face.

"And I… am… Iron Man."

When his fingers move, Nebula jumps to reach his shoulder.

She feels it. Feels the stones taking her all in. Almost her entire body is made of metal, but she can feel it destroying herself, she feels the **pain **and can't possibly describe the amount of it.

She yells. Somewhere near her, Nebula hears another scream, too, until everything goes white.

* * *

When he awakes, the first thing he notices is that his right arm is numb. Same thing for part of his face. Due to that, he takes some time to open his eyes, especially when it comes to his right one. He smells blood and burnt skin, and, for a moment, he can't recall what happened; yet when he sees dust flying away, he understands.

It's over. It's finally over.

Still, he can't help but think…

… he should have died.

Tony remembers what he did, and he knows he shouldn't have survived. He saw Strange's signal, he knew what was going to happen to him. He took it, he accepted his fate, even if, deep inside him, he was afraid to.

But he's here, he doesn't feel like a complete wreck. Which is odd, because, again, he has no powers. He shouldn't have…

…

He hears coughing beside him. Pained grunting. Something else burning beside him. It smells… like burnt wires and metal. A different kind, that is.

Frowning, Tony is able to turn around. He catches the dark blue skin he's become familiar with a bit faster than he expected; but it's also heavily darkened on the left side, revealing the wired insides of a bald head. He's then met with the darkest eyes he's seen, and something catches up in Tony's throat when he recognizes Nebula laying down beside him.

Oh, no.

"Wh—" Alerted, Tony manages to sit up, somehow able to support himself with his right arm. He hesitantly touches her face since he knows she isn't too keen on physical touching. Right now, though, it doesn't seem to matter (and not to her either).

"What- What did you do?" He asks her, despite his sore, rough throat. Tony absolutely despises the sight of Nebula's left side revealing wires and dark spots. Her arm is only a tiny layer of metal now.

She's silent for a moment before replying, quiet, "We couldn't... let you…" She doesn't need to finish for him to understand what she means. Except…

_We?_ He nearly asks when a weak noise comes from behind him and a tiny voice calls for him, "M… Mister Stark…?"

No. Good God, **_no_**—

"Kid." Tony is out of breath. He swears his already fragile heart is about to explode upon facing Peter on the ground. His right side is busted, his suit is compromised, too. There's so much blood dirtying his face and he's pale, **_so pale_**. "Kid. _Peter_."

The kid's eyes widen and… he manages out a relieved smile as he says, "You're… You're okay..."

Peter tries to stand up but winces in pain. Even with his right arm busted, Tony manages to help him sit before he can hurt himself more. He does the same for Nebula, who remains silent and has her gaze down. Tony is sure he's panicking as his eyes go on and forth between the two.

The three are sitting among the dirt and there is nobody and nothing else around them, if not for the dust of the fallen soldiers of Thanos' army. A few sunshine rays are coming through and illuminating what was once a huge battlefield.

In the middle of his train of thought, he feels an entire moon crushing him when he remembers the screams from when he snapped his fingers. How could he not realize? How could he let them risk their lives like this?

Tony looks at his own hand, at how black and numb it is that he almost believed he would have lost it. No, he could have lost Nebula, he could have lost Peter _again_—

"Are you two _insane_?" Tony raises his voice, yet it still isn't so loud. "You could have died!"

He wants to sound mad – god, does he feel mad – but he's unable to, for whatever reason.

If anything, he's desperate. He's heartbroken at the thought of them going so far to save him; frustrated, even. What's worse is that Peter and Nebula don't look anywhere guilty.

"So could you," Peter argues.

Tony knows, that was the entire point! He wants to tell them that, but- he _can't_.

Rather than yelling at them more, he starts crying. Bawling as he's forced to see them in that state. They don't deserve it. As mean as she could be, Nebula has good in her heart. She is smart, she is reliable… and loyal. All she ever wanted was love and she's guaranteed a place in his heart that he didn't expect. As for Peter… to say he loves him isn't _enough_. He's been haunted by his absence for five freaking years, has missed his smile and endless, excited rambling about the Star Wars movies, high school and his Spider-Man patrolling.

They're both too great for him, for the universe. He can't be mad at them for being the good people they are.

"It's okay," Peter says, touches his right arm with hesitance. "We're okay."

For the first time in forever, Tony smiles. He laughs and more tears come out as he wraps his kid in a tight hug, while making sure he doesn't hurt him. His left hand pulls him close by his head, touching his brown curls, as if to trap him and never allow him to get out of his sight again. Tony is ugly crying and he knows it, feels snot mixing with blood and dirt, but he couldn't possibly care.

"You're so _grounded_," Tony jokes, voice breaking. Peter doesn't protest and returns the contact, his own tears wetting the older man's neck.

It doesn't take long for the mechanic to catch Nebula watching the scene with a soft look. It does appear that a little smile is revealing itself in that bold face of hers. Thus, with a smirk on his face, Tony wraps his right arm around her and pulls her close, too, not in the least fearing for his life with said action anymore.

"That includes you, too, bluie," Tony mutters. "You two are not allowed to die on my watch, capiche?"

While Peter, who's held by his left arm, laughs in response, Nebula is stiff… but doesn't take too long to actually _snuggle_ against the man's chest (he _so_ wishes he had a camera right now). With that, Peter imitates her, and the trio remains glued to one another for what it feels like forever, and Tony hopes it never ends.

Finally, Nebula voices, "We won."

"Yeah," Tony's smile widens and his grip on the two tightens a bit more. "Yeah, we won."

* * *

**At this point I'm pretty much trapped in the MCU hype :'v but I'll remind myself to work on my four other WIPs, whoops,,**


End file.
